Journey on the planet of Pool, from «Luis Mariano» to «Symphogramme».»

Unpublished article - Erica Berazategui

Biel-born Fanny Diercksen, or more commonly Phanee de Pool, is enjoying sensational success in Switzerland and beyond. With two albums since 2017 and endless shows, she has managed to win over a wide audience. Her style? The slap, a gentle contraction of slam and rap, created by the artist in his own unique and whimsical style. After a concert at Biel's Théâtre Nebia and a chat with the artist, here are the ingredients of his world, due to hit our screens on January 4.

Fanny Diercksen's background may seem surprising to anyone who has heard her on the radio in recent years. After graduating from business school and trying her hand at the Ecole de Jazz et de Musique Actuelle (EJMA) in Lausanne, Fanny Diercksen trained as a police officer. But she had always dreamed of making a living from music. Why such a change of heart? «I wanted to be close to people, to have contact with them, but in truth, it was also about making money.» Taking advantage of her financial independence, the Biel native remained in the police force for seven years.

The click Luis Mariano

For seven long years, she didn't use her voice or play a musical instrument. «I'd resigned myself to it, I'd put my dream on hold,» she confides softly. But on September 11, 2016, something clicked and Phanee de Pool hatched. «Like every year, I was watching the Twin Towers collapse, and all of a sudden, I became aware of this sort of endless, uninteresting routine I was following: work, TV, eat, sleep, and then it's all over again the next day.» It was on this very day that the artist created Luis Mariano, his first track: in less than 24 hours, no less than a thousand listens have already been logged. «I knew something was up. So I set up a kind of ritual: I started putting a song online every month or so. That's where it all started.»

Five years on, to see her on stage, you'd never doubt that she's giving up her dream for a while. Phannee de Pool occupies the stage with her scathing words, extravagant movements and energy. badass, all bathed in a soft harmony of light and virtual images projected onto a screen. For this show, she is accompanied by a chamber orchestra and pianist Etienne Champolion. The contrast between the quirkiness of the artist and the classicism of the musicians is a delight. So much so, in fact, that this disparity quickly turns into a kind of joyful chaos. Throughout the concert, you'll find yourself moving from gentle, calm tracks to terribly energetic ones. We're also treated to infectious laughter at the singer's comedic talents.

Who is Panee de Pool?

Although the blend is a success, it is still on the borderline of the too much. In fact, we find ourselves plunged into a parallel universe: if we don't jump in with both feet, eyes closed and confident of what lies ahead, the return to reality can be very swift. When interviewed, Fanny Diercksen asserts that she «doesn't have to try too hard to be Phanee de Pool», but one has to wonder what kind of energetic person is facing us on stage: either an artist-actress who embodies her role to perfection, or someone who simply gives us a glimpse of her humanity and hypnotizes us. Despite what a lady in the audience whispered at the start of the concert, you don't necessarily need to «understand her songs»: perhaps you can also simply let yourself be carried away into this distant galaxy.

When you leave the theater, you don't really know what to make of these two zany hours. Like Phanee de Pool, who doesn't want to «be a lecturer», you don't find yourself shaken, or with a desire to turn the world upside down. At the very most, we're happy and delighted to have discovered a new way of doing things. other world. And that's more than enough.

Constantly on the lookout for new experiments, Phanee de Pool has created the show «Symphogramme»: an arrangement between her universe, that of a symphony orchestra and those of her guests. Produced last November at the Auditorium Stravinski, this show will be broadcast on RTS1 on January 4, and in cinemas, notably at Vevey, Aigle and Montreux, and Neuchâtel, from January 6.

Photo credit: © Pierik Falco